2014

It’s no fun to expose your phone-swiping digits to the cold. Sure, you can avoid chilled fingertips by investing in a pair of touchscreen friendly gloves, which have proliferated alongside the never-ending explosion of mobile devices. But if you’re like me, you probably have a collection of perfectly serviceable gloves—and no desire to add to…

As I write this, it’s 23.8 degrees atop 6,288-foot Mount Washington—a balmy morning compared to Saturday, when the summit clocked in with a high of 6 degrees and a low of minus-2. Month to date, the Mount Washington Observatory has received just over 20 inches of snowfall, with more coming down today. As of last…

It’s likely some lodgers at AMC’s Shapleigh Bunkhouse may not be aware that they’re resting their heads in a space where once were created master works of American landscape painting. The building housed the summer studio of White Mountain School of Art landscape painter, Frank Shapleigh, who, from 1877 to 1893, served as artist-in-residence for…

Anyone who has ridden a chairlift to the top of a windswept ski area, snowshoed down a snow-covered trail, or traveled into the backcountry by any means when all is white has imagined a cold, lonely night in the woods. Some people get lost. Others get stuck, stranded, or injured. It happens to even the…

Ah, winter: Season of outdoor thrills and potentially butt-crunching spills. When snow and ice create dangerous conditions underfoot—from city sidewalks to rugged mountain trails—adding a winter traction system to your footwear will provide the grip you need to stay safely upright. Here are the options, from casual to extreme, to keep you on your feet…

Winter can refresh your favorite hikes and entice you to new destinations. With snow covering the ground, the once familiar mountains and forests of summertime are transformed. Grab your snowshoes or skis and check out these easy winter hikes. Conners Nubble | Acadia National Park, Maine Like many of the peaks in Acadia, Conners Nubble’s…

This winter season, Columbia Sportswear is heavily promoting its new line of TurboDown jackets and vests, even featuring it in prominent TV ads during last week’s World Series. Besides having some marketing snazz, what exactly is TurboDown? And what does it say about the current state of goose down in general? The TurboDown sandwich: synthetic…

COVER PHOTO: RYAN SMITH AMC OUTDOORS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES In Land We Trust: A History of AMC Land Protection The Casualty on Mount Lefroy Browse all features VIEW FROM AMC AMC Calls for Smart Energy Project Siting Browse all View from AMC VISTAS (NOW “CURRENTS”) Prescribing the Outdoors Clean Air Agenda…

My canister stove is simple and convenient to operate, and has long been my go-to three-season option. But it sucks in the winter or any time temperatures start dropping below freezing, when they work poorly to not at all. Why? Why, stove, why??? Photo: Michael R Perry/Flickr Commons It boils down to some basic chemistry…